Periferica Educativa Experimental

In 2022, artists César Noyola and Teresa Tavera were invited to the first “Erratic Fields” expedition, where they presented their project and shared their experiences. The practice of Periférica Educativa Experimental lies at the intersection of critical pedagogy and social sculpture. Noyola and Tavera conceive of art as a collective process that emerges from everyday experiences in the Maneadero neighborhood of Ensenada, Baja California—a largely agricultural area that is socioeconomically disadvantaged and marked by youth addiction. Since 2020, initially in response to the disruption of education caused by the pandemic, the collective has invited a group of school children to create a violence-free space where they can make sculptures with clay formed from the surrounding soil. The sculptures were fired in an open pit and exchanged for food, establishing an economy based on reciprocity that contributes to family livelihoods. This resulted in weekly gatherings for play, creative expression, and the exchange of experiences. Their most recent project, Igneous Kitchen, was inspired by a child who ate stones to quell his hunger. This image sparked reflections on the region's geological formations and reframed cooking as a communal practice where food, storytelling, and writing converge.